Coal-car.



D. BUTLER.

COAL CAR.

N0. 639,!45. Patented Dec. l2, I899.

(Application filed June 17, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets8lieat I.

No. 639,!45. Patented Dec. l2, I899.

' D. BUTLER.

COAL CAR.

(Application filed 'Qrune 1-7, 1599. I (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

l5 pzrzas ca. PHOfO-LITHQ, WA

No. 639,!45. Patented Dec. 12, I899.

' n. BUTLER.

COAL CAR.

(Applica ion filed Jupe 17, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

71%2526 63d. [Wave/tom W i jm ujuflen STATES PAT NT FFICE.

DENNIS BUTLER, OF IVATSON, ILLINOIS.

COAL-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 639,145, datedDecember 12, 1899.

Application filed June 17, 1899. Serial No. 720,958. (No model.)

To (10% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DENNIS BUTLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Watson, in the county of Effingham and State of Illinois,have invented new and useful Improvements in Coal-Oars, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to railway coal-cars, and has for its object toprovide such a car with a simple, inexpensive, strong, and durableremovable, folding, and flexible cover that is adapted to be easily andreadily folded up into a small and compact form and stored in areceptacle fitted to one side of the car to enable the latter to beloaded in the usual manner and which when in place on top of the carwill prevent the loss of coal through shaking and jolting of the car orfrom pilfering.

To these ends my invention consists in the features and in theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims following thedescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification,wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of thebody of my improved car, showing the cover drawn over in place. Fig. 2is a longitudinal central sectional View of one end of the car. Fig. 3is a transverse sectional View. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing thecover folded up in its cage or receptacle. Fig. 5 is a detail plan viewillustrating the manner of hinging together the panels of the cover, andFigs. 6 and 7 are detail views of a slightly-modified construction.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the body of a railwaycoal-car of ordinary construction, open at the top, as usual. To eachend of the sides 2 and 2 of the car are attached arched plates 3, theouter edge 7 portions of said plates being provided with up ports forthe folding flexible covers, hereinafter described, and the flanges 6divide the car into three sections, each of which is provided with acover, as will hereinafter appear. Inasmuch as the covers or the threesections of the cover are constructed precisely alike, one only need bedescribed. To the side 2 of the car, between each pair of arched plates,are fixed three hinge-straps 7, two of said hinge-strapsbeingrespectively arranged near the arched plates and the third beingdisposed midway between the other two. The upper ends of thehinge-straps are provided with outwardly-turned knuckles 8, to which arehinged by pintles 9 similar straps 10, the knuckles on the upper ends ofwhich are turned and lie in substantially the same horizontal plane asthe top of the car or the ends of the curved portions of the archedplates 3.

It will be understood that where the terms inner and outer or upper andlower are employed throughout the description with reference to thefolding cover the cover is supposed to be in its extended or unfoldedposition over the top of the car.

To the inwardly-turned knuckles on the upper ends of the straps 10 arehinged by pintles l1 hinge-leaves 12, the knuckles 13 on the lower endsof which are of course turned inwardly to correspond to the knuckles onthe upper ends of the straps 10. To the hingeleaves 12 are in likemanner hinged. hingeleaves 12 and 12 the knuckles 14: of which areturned inwardly, and riveted to the under side of said hinge-leaves 12,12, and 12 are transverse bars 15, the ends of which are adapted to reston the arched supports between the flanges of the latter. The ends ofthe bars 15 do not in practice quite extend to said flanges in orderthat the cover may have ample play in folding and unfolding. Three bars15 are preferably riveted to each set of hinge-leaves, but the numbermay of course be varied as desired. To the knuckles on the upper ends ofthe hinge-leaves 12 are hinged correspondingly-formed hinge-leaves 1%,the knuckles 16 of which are turned outwardly, and to the outer sides ofeach set of hinge-leaves 12 are riveted bars 17. To the outwardly-turnedknuckles 16 of the hingeleaves 12 are hinged by correspondinglyturnedknuckles 18 hinge-leaves 12 the knuckles 19 of which are turnedinwardly, and to the under side of each set of hingeleaves 12 areriveted bars 20. The succeeding hingeleaves are hinged together insimilar niannerthat is to say, the knuckles on the ends of thehinge-leaves 12 nearest the side 2 of the car are turned inwardly, whilethe knuckles on the opposite ends of the hingeleaves 12 are turnedoutwardly, and the bars carried by said hingeleaves are riveted to theoutersides thereof. The leaves 12, which alternate with the hinge leaves12, have their knuckles on the ends nearest the sides 2 of the carturned outwardly and the knuckles on the opposite ends turned inwardly,and the bars are riveted to the inner sides of the said hinge-leaves.Each set of hingeleaves, together with their transverse bars,constitutes a panel, and by hinging the panels together in the mannerdescribed and by attaching the bars of the panels alternately onopposite sides of the hinge-leaves the panels may be folded compactlyand closely together in opposite directions.

The end straps 21 are slotted, as indicated at 22, and when the cover isin its unfolded position engage 0r fit over eyebolts or staples 23,fixed to the side 2 of the car, and may be locked thereto by anysuitable or preferred means.

As shown in the drawings, the flanges of the arched plates are extendeddown the side 2 ofthe cal, and fitted one above the other in saidextended ends of the flanges are bars 24. Similar bars 25 are fitted attheir lower and inner ends in the side of the car and project outwardtherefrom as far as the lowermost of the bars 2% and are then bent up atright angles and riveted to the inner sides of the bars 24:. A cage orreceptacle is thus formed for the reception of the cover when the latteris folded up.

Let it be assumed that the cover is unfolded and stretched over the topof the car, the ends of the bars resting on the arched plates. Then touncover the car it is only necessary to uncage or receptacle, andthereafter as the cover drops into the cage the panels 12 and 12 willfold alternately backward and forward upon themselves, the alternatearrangement of the hinge-knuckles and bars causing the entire cover tofold closely together and compactly into the cage or receptacle, wherebyit will be entirely out of the way to permit the car to be loaded in theusual manner and to avoid striking obstructions on the side of therailway. To unfold the cover, it is only necessary to grasp the cover atits free edge and draw it over the arched supports or slides.

It will of course be understood that there will be a cover such as abovedescribed arranged between each two arched supports,and in the drawingsI have shown the car divided into three sections,each provided with acover; but it will be understood that the car may be divided into asmany sections, each provided. with a folding cover, as may be desired.

It. will be noted that the end arched plates 3 are not attached to theends 26 of the car-body, and hence the latter may be hinged so as todrop down, as indicated in dotted lines 27, whereby the car may beadapted for carrying lumber and articles too long to be arranged in thecar. The ends 26 of the car are also provided with the usual hand andfoot holds 28. A car equipped with covers constructed as described makesit dilficult for the trainmen to walk over the tops of the cars, and inorder to provide a convenient and safe footway I arrange a running-board29 on the side 2 of the car, and the running-board may be convenientlyformed by extending the floor of the car beyond the side 2.

By forming the cage or receptacle of open work in the manner describedno dirt, coal, trash, or the like can collect in and lumber up thereceptacle.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings I have shown a slightly-modified manner ofconstructing the ends of the car. As shown in said figure, the upperedges of the ends 26 of the car are straight or horizontal, and fastenedto the upper edges of the sides of the car above the ends 26 aretransverse planks or bars 30. To the inner edges of the planks or bars30 are attached the arched plates 3, which instead of being formed onthe arcs of circles, as before described, are segment-shaped and arebraced and held rigidly in place by triangularshaped metallic straps orbraces 31, fixed to said arched plates and to the planks or bars. Thelower edges of the ends 26 of the car-body are hinged to the car-bottomto fold inwardly, as before described. Such arrangement permits the endsof the car to be folded down flat against the floor of the car, Wherethey will be out of the way, and adds strength and rigidity to thecar-body.

Having described my invention, What I claim is 1 The combination with acar having an open top, of a flexible cover attached at one end to theside of the car and comprising a series of panels constructed toalternately fold backward and forward upon each other, and a cage orreceptacle attached to one side of the car for the reception of thecover when the latter is folded up, substantially as described.

2.'The combination With a car having an open top, of a flexible coverattached at one end to the side of the car and comprising a series ofpanels constructed to alternately fold backward and forward upon eachother, and an open-work cage or receptacle attached to one side of thecar for the reception of the sides of the car, and a flexible coverattached cover when the latter is folded up, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a car having an open top, of arched platesattached to the sides of the car, and a flexible cover attached at oneend to the side of the car and comprising a series of rigid panelshinged to each other and constructed to alternately fold backward andforward on top of one another, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a car having an open top, of arched supportsattached to the at one end to the side of the car and comprising aplurality of hinge-leaves hinged together and constructed to alternatelyfold backward and forward upon each other, and bars fixed transverselyon the hinge-leaves and arranged to restat their ends on the archedsupports, substantially as described.

5. The combination With a car having an open top, of arched supportsattached to the side of the car, and a flexible cover attached at oneend to the side of the car and comprisin g a plurality of hinge-leaveshinged together and constructed to alternately fold backward and forwardupon each other, and bars fixed alternately to the inner and outer sidesof the hinge-leaves, substantially as described.

6, The combination with a car having an open top, of arched supportsattached to the 1 side of the car, a plurality of pairs of straphingesthe lowermost strap of each of which is attached to the side of the car,and a fiexible cover comprising a plurality of binge leaves hingedtogether and constructed to alternately fold forward and backward. uponeach other and bars fixed transversely to the hinge-leaves alternatelyon the inner and outer sides of the latter, the end hinge-leaves at oneside of the cover being' hinged to the free straps of the saidstrap-hinges, and the knuckles of the hinge-leaves next to the fixed endof the cover being turned inward, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- Witnesses:

Jnssrn THOMPSON, HENRY B. KEPLEY.

